Dynasty: Not a dirty word in Pa.

PHILADELPHIA — If there were a manual to winning statewide elections in Pennsylvania, it would include at least two observations:

First, dynasty is not a dirty word.

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And second, expect to run at least one or two times before voters reward you. They like their politicians to feel as familiar as their morning cup of coffee.

In the presidential primary campaign, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton — the political equivalent of Maxwell House after years of appearing with her husband in the state — is benefiting not just from the demographics of Pennsylvania, but from its unique amber-preserved culture.

Familiarity does not breed contempt is this state, where political offices pass through generations of the same family and the old manufacturing ethos creates an insularity that forces politicians to run several times before winning.

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“If you are going to introduce a brand new product, you don’t come to Pennsylvania,” said Christopher Nicholas, who managed the 2004 campaign of Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, a twice-defeated statewide candidate before his 1980 election to the Senate. “We are much more about heritage than cutting edge here.”

This maxim of Pennsylvania politics helps explain why Sen. Barack Obama, an unknown on the national stage until four years ago, has yet to captivate the state like he has done in so many other places.

Clinton claims deep Pennsylvania roots that give her brand-name status. Her father grew up in Scranton and she spent summers in the area. Her surname has appeared twice on the ballot, as her husband became the first Democrat since Jimmy Carter to carry the state. And as a U.S. senator, Clinton returned often to raise money for local candidates.

“The brand name establishes a cache in Pennsylvania politics that provides considerable advantages,” said Michael Young, a Hershey pollster and former political science professor at Pennsylvania State University.

Instead of closing the polling gap as the primary election draws closer, as he usually does, Obama has fallen farther behind in Pennsylvania in the last week. The latest Quinnipiac University survey showed Clinton’s 6-point lead in February has expanded to 12 points. The Franklin and Marshall College poll released Thursday showed a similar trend.

The favorability ratings are even more telling.

Sixty-five percent of voters surveyed hold a favorable opinion of Clinton — her best showing since Franklin and Marshall began polling the race. Her unfavorability ratings dipped to their lowest point, 18 percent, in the latest survey.

By contrast, Obama’s favorability rating dropped from 57 percent to 47 percent in the last month alone.

“These polls coming out right now are capturing his nadir,” Young said.

Obama found himself in a fix: Just as he was attempting to define a positive image for Pennsylvania voters, negative stories interfered, namely the incendiary sermons from his pastor.